LEAPS

“We are striving to contribute to getting students more engaged in learning through a new project-based method. Further, the students will become increasingly exposed to the natural sciences without adding hours of instruction.”

Anette Clausen, Chair of the Kata Foundation.

Transformative learning project

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded DKK 13 million for a new transformative learning project, Learning and Engagement through Authentic Projects focusing on Science (LEAPS) that will bolster young students’ competencies in the natural sciences and in interdisciplinarity. The project will implement this through a new engaging project-based method of learning that will integrate the natural sciences into all subjects.

The project will train students at four primary and lower-secondary schools in Denmark in natural science and project-oriented methods. LEAPS will catalyse transformation in students’ perspectives on the natural sciences and their related methods by much more systematically integrating them into the other general education subjects such as languages, art and history. For example, a school play provides opportunities to use school subjects actively and to learn authentically about how to integrate stage construction, sound and lights into the play.

The objectives of the project include making more students interested in pursuing educational programmes in the natural sciences and creating several innovative model schools that can inspire other schools. Four schools in Denmark are participating in the project. The schools are Sønderskov-Skolen in Sønderborg, Kvaglundskolen Signatur in Esbjerg, Herredsåsen in Kalundborg and Herfølge Skole in the Municipality of Køge.

The Kata Foundation is anchoring the initiative, and several large foundations in Denmark are supporting it.

“We are striving to contribute to getting students more engaged in learning through a new project-based method. Further, the students will become increasingly exposed to the natural sciences without adding hours of instruction. For example, this can be achieved by learning mathematics, physics and English simultaneously,” says Anette Clausen, Chair of the Kata Foundation.

Dagnia Looms, Head of Strategic Awards, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says: “The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded this grant for LEAPS to contribute to develop learning in Denmark’s primary and lower-secondary schools and to heighten students’ interest and appreciation of using natural science methods at school.”